Method of making shoes



April 23, 1968 A G -r ET AL 3,378,867

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed March 3, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Jilzvz 113 Gran-cf jazzak 1? flzzm'lbz'izzi April 23, 1968 A. H. GRANT ET AL 3,378,867

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed March 3, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A H- GRANT ET AL METHOD OF MAKING SHOES A ril 23, 1968 4 Sheets$heet 5 Filed March 5, 1965 A ril 23, 1968 A. H. GRANT E METHOD OF MAKING SHOES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March United States Patent 3,378,867 METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Alden H. Grant, Freeport, Maine, and Louis P. Bianchiui,

Bridgewater, Mass, assignors to Commonwealth Shoe & Leather Co., Inc., Whitman, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 436,895

18 Claims. (Cl. 12142) This invention pertains to footwear, more especially to a novel method of making shoes and to a new and improved shoe resultant from the practice of the method.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a shoe which possesses some of the desirable features which are characteristic of shoes made by various conventional methods as, for example, the comfort of a moccasin-type shoe whose upper leather has not bee subjected to the stretching involved in machine lasting and thus deprived of its natural elasticity; the outwardly directed lower margin, characteristic of a stitch-down shoe, which has been found beneficial to wearers whose feet tend to pronate or roll out over the edge of the sole of a shoe whose upper is lasted inwardly over an insole; and the smart appearance and good wearing qualities of a conventional Goodyear welt shoe. A further object is to provide a shoe wherein the lower margin of the upper is attached to a midsole (or insole) by a hand-sewn seam and is also firmly united to the midsole and to an outer sole by a machine-sewn seam similar to that employed in securing an outer sole to the welt of a Goodyear welt shoe. A further object is to provide a shoe wherein the lower portion of the upper lining, at the shank portion of the shoe, extends uninterruptedly transversely across from one side to the other of the shoe insuring a snug fit and strong support for the foot at this portion of the shoe. A further object is to provide a method of constructing a shoe having the above characteristics and wherein the several successive steps involved in the assembly and union of the constituent parts may be carried out easily, for the most part by the use of customary appliances, and with a high degree of accuracy. A further object is to provide a novel appliance useful in the practice of the method. Shoes having the above characteristics may be produced, according to this method, on a commercial scale, with assurance of proper sizing and pleasing style without undue cost.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a onepiece vamp, such as may be used in the practice of the invention;

FIG. la is a similar view showing the vamp lining;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the quarter lining;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the bottom ply of a midsole (insole);

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a foam rubber cushion for assembly with the bottom member of the midsole;

, FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cover, usually of soft leather, for the rubber cushion;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of an outer sole;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the upper after its constituent parts have been assembled and adhesively united;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the underside of the bottom member of the midsole after it has been marked by a series of punch holes to indicate the outline of the bottom of the last which is to be used;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the assembled midsole comprising the parts shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5;

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FIG. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the shoe upper with its lower margin turned outwardly as in a stitchdown shoe;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the midsole, the upper surface of its marginal portion having been coated with cement;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of apparatus desirable for use in the assembly of the upper and midsole;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13, but illustrating the actual operation of pressing the outturned margin of the upper into adhesive contact with the midsole;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the upper and midsole as having been adhesively united and connected at spaced points by staples;

FIG. 16a is a section, to larger scale, on line 16a16a of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side elevation showing the first step in the slip-lasting of the shoe;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the slip-lasted shoe is mounted upon a conventional sewing jack and undergoing the step of hand-sewing the midsole to the upper while concomitantly lasting the upper;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the partly completed shoe, after the hand-sewing operation, and with a steel shank piece shown as arranged at the underside of the midsole at the shank portion;

FIG. 21 is a composite view showing the hand-sewn upper in readiness to be secured to the outed sole by the use of adhesive;

FIG. 22 is a side elevation showing the outer sole as having been adhesively secured to the midsole;

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary plan view showing the toe portion of the shoe after the outer sole has been secured to the midsole and margin of the upper by a machinesewn seam; and

FIG. 24 is a side elevation illustrating a completed shoe in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the several parts are out, in accordance with usual shoe-making practice, from properly selected material, for example upper leather, sole-leather or substitutes therefor, rubber sheeting, etc, among these parts being the sole-leather outersole 20 (FIG. 6); the vamp 21 (FIG. 1), here shown by way of example as a one-piece vamp; the vamp lining 22 (FIG. 1a); and the quarter lining parts 22 and 22a (FIG. 2). Molded counters (not here shown) of conventional type may be provided and, if desired, a conventional toe box (not shown). Also provided is the sole-leather lower ply 26 (FIG. 3) of an insole, or more accurately speaking a midsole which, when complete, also includes a cushioning ply 27 ('FIG. 4), for example, of sheet sponge rubber of a size and contour substantially like that of the bottom of the last which will be used in the manufacture of the shoe; and a cushion cover 28 (FIG. 5) of substantially the same size and shape as the cushion and which may, for example, be of soft upper leather. The parts 26, 27 and 28 are shown in sect-ion in FIG. 10 as assembled and bonded together by suitable adhesive. Before assem- 'bling the parts 27 and 28 with the part 26, the latter is desirably marked in some suitable fashion, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, by punching a row of small perforations 29, for instance inch apart, through the part 26 and about /2 inch from the edge of part 26 to outline the edge of the last. These perforations are then used as a guide in assembling the part 27 with the part 26.

The various elements of the upper are assembled and stitched together according to the customary shoe-making practice. However, it will be noted that the quarter lining, comprising the members 22 and 22a (FIG. 2) has its parts 22x and 22y united by a butt seam B (FIGS. 2 and 16a) so that they form an uninterrupted connection between the opposite sides of the upper end, in fact, form a sort of hammock for the arch portion of the wearers foot and which has the effect of drawing the opposite sides of the upper at the shank inwardly to fit snugly about the wearers foot. The edges 22m and 22n are likewise united by a seam K (FIG. 24) in closing the vamp lining at the heel end.

The lower margin of the upper, for example, /2 inch in width, is now coated with adhesive at its inner side, that is its flesh side, and the upper surface of the lower, midsole member 26 for approximately /2 inch of its width, exposed around the member 27, is likewise coated with adhesive.

The assembler now draws the upper over a rigid form F (FIGS. 13 and 15), here shown as shaped like an ordinary last except that the upper rear portion is cut away, and which constitutes the movable jaw of a sort of pres sure-applying apparatus or vice V (FIGS. l3, l4 and 15). He then aligns the midsole member 26 with the bottom of the form F and with his fingers progressively turns the margin of the forepart portion of the upper outward- 1y as a stitch-down type of shoe, pressing each successive area of the adhesively-coated flesh surface of the upper into contact with the adhesively-coated margin of the upper surface of the midsole. This procedure is followed around the forepart portion, at least, of the shoe. By de pression of the treadle D the operator subjects the 0pposed adhesively-coated surfaces of the midsole and upper to pressure such as to bond them together. The shoe is then removed from the device V and by the use of a conventional power hammer (not here illustrated), such as is customarily employed in shoe factories in uniting adhesively-coated parts, the outturned margin of the upper and the marginal portion of the midsole are subjected to a hammering action thus bonding them firmly together. Having completed this operation, the margin of the upper and the marginal portion of the midsole are desirably mechanically secured together, for example, by staples P (FIG. 17) located at selected points about the periphery of the upper.

The embryo shoe E (FIG. 18) thus prepared is now thoroughly wetted, and, while thus wet and limp, a last L of the proper size and style is forced into the upper, by the use of a shoe horn H or equivalent, according to usual slip-lasting procedure.

The embryo shoe on the last L is now mounted, in position most convenient for the operator, on a hand-sewing jack J (FIG. 19) of customary type. The hand-sewer, using a thread T having a needle N at each end, and punching holes by means of an awl, as he proceeds, permanently secures the marginal portion of the midsole to the marginal portion of the upper by pulling the thread diagonally with reference to the bottom of the shoe through the awl holes thus formed and drawing stitch-after-stitch to form a seam W about the periphery of the margin of the upper thus, by hand-lasting, conforming the upper to the last.

When this hand-sewing is complete the staples P (FIG. 17) are removed and the shoe, still on the last, is dried. Having coated the flesh side of the outer sole 20 and the outer surface of the midsole with adhesive, the outer sole is assembled with the embryo shoe, preferably with a steel shank piece S (FIG. 20) interposed between them. The assembly is then presented to a stitching machine, for example, of the kind customarily used in uniting an outer sole to the welt of a Goodyear welt shoe, and a machine-sewn seam Z (FIGS. 23 and 24) is formed, uniting the outer sole to the midsole and upper, the seam 2. extending along the outturned margin of the upper closely adjacent to the hand-sewn seam W but spaced slightly and uniformly therefrom. To assist in accurately performing this machine-sewing operation, the table of the machine may, if necessary, be slightly modified to form a guide device which bears against the outer surface of the upper, closely adjacent to the bottom surface of the last, so that the machine-sewn seam Z follows the hand-sewn seam W closely and accurately. After the machine-sewn seam Z has been completed, the shoe is otherwise finished according to customary shoe-making practice, including the trimming and setting of the edges of the outer sole and outturned upper and the addition of a heel H (FIG. 24).

As illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24, the vamp 21 is provided with a conventional mock-seam, imparting the appearance of a hand-sewn moccasin.

The device V (FIGS. 13, 14 and 15), hereinabove referred to as a vise, is here shown by way of example of apparatus designed for use in the assembling of the shoe upper and midsole as above described. As here shown, it comprises a frame 50 of inverted U-shape having flanges 50a and 5% at the lower ends of its legs which may be bolted to the floor. The device also comprises a rigid central panel 51 secured at its lower end to the floor and at its upper end to the cross-member of the U- shaped frame. A forwardly extending bracket 52, secured to the panel 51, provides pivotal support for the lower end of an arm 53 which is arranged to swing about its pivotal axis in a vertical plane. To the upper end of the arm 53 the movable jaw F is secured. A steadying rod 54, pivotally attached to the upper part of the arm 53, passes through a guide opening in the panel 51 thereby preventing the arm 53 from swinging sidewise. The arm 53 has a slot 55, between its fulcrum axis at 56 and the rod 54, in which is mounted a freely rotatable grooved pulley 57 (FIG. 14). A chain or cable 58, anchored at its rear end to the panel 51, passes over the pulley 57 and downwardly to a treadle D to which it is attached. The treadle D is fulcrumed at 59 to a bracket 60 which, as here shown, is bolted to the floor. The normally fixed jaw or anvil 30 is here shown as a rigid disc fixed to the forward end of a stem 61 which may be integral with a plate 62 fixed to the panel 51. However, the stem may have screwthreaded engagement with the plate 62 thus providing adjustment for the jaw 30 from front to rear. The mode of using the device V has been described above.

It will be understood that while certain specific materials have been suggested hereinabove for incorporation in the boot or shoe to be manufactured and while a shoe of one particular style has herein been illustrated as a product of the process here described and claimed, and While certain types of apparatus have been referred to as useful in the practice of the process, the method and the article resultant from its practice, as herein disclosed,

are to be considered as including all modifications and functional equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. That method of making shoes which comprises as steps: assembling and uniting appropriate parts to constitute an upper, providing a midsole, turning the lower margin of the upper outwardly and contacting it with and adhesively uniting it to the marginal portion of the midsole, uniting the outturned margin of the upper to the midsole by a hand-sewn seam to form an embryo shoe, providing an outer sole, so assembling said outer sole with the upper and midsole that the free edges of the margins of the upper, midsole and outer sole are in substantial registry, and uniting the outer sole to the midsole and to the margin of the upper by a seam which is substantially parallel to the hand-sewn seam.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before the formation of the hand-sewn scam, the adhesively united upper and midsole are saturated with water, the embryo shoe is slip-lasted and then dried on the last.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before assembling the midsole with the upper, a row of small perforations is formed in the midsole, outlining the edge of the bottom of the last which will be used in lasting the shoe.

4. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in forming the midsole by assembling a bottom ply, approximating in size and shape the outer sole which is to be used, with a middle ply of resilient material of a size and shape substantially like that of the bottom of the last to be used, and with an upper ply of soft pliable material of substantially the same size and shape as the resilient ply, and adhesively bonding the several plies to each other so that the margin of the lower ply is exposed.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, in sewing the hand-sewn scam, the stitches are drawn through holes approximately on the line defined by the perforations formed in the midsole.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before assembling the upper and midsole, the under-surface of the margin of the upper and the upper surface of the marginal portion of the midsole are coated with adhesive and then, beginning at a selected point, progressively turning the margin of the upper outwardly while registering the edge of the outturned portions of the margin of the upper with the edge of the midsole, and so applying pressure as to bond the adhesively-coated surfaces to each other.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein after the margin of the upper and the marginal portion of the midsole have been adhesively bonded to each other, they are united at spaced points by means of metallic fasteners.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seam which unites the outer sole to the midsole and outturned margin of the upper is a machine-sewn seam of the type which is commonly used for uniting the outsole to the welt of a Goodyear welt shoe.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parts which are assembled and united to form the upper comprise a quarter lining having a portion which extends across from one side to the other of the shoe at the shank portion of the latter and overlies the midsole.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before the formation of each stitch of the hand-sewn seam, the operator, by means of an awl, inserted at the line defined by the perforations formed in the bottom ply of the midsole, punches a hole which extends through the midsole and diagonally outwardly through the outturned margin of the upper.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in making the hand-sewn seam which unites the marginal portion of the upper to the midsole, the stitches are formed by the use of a thread having a sewing needle at each end, and in forming the stitches the needles are so inserted as to extend diagonally with reference to the bottom surface of the midsole.

12. That method of making shoes which comprises as steps: providing a midsole comprising a sole leather member, providing said member with index means defining the outline of the edge of the bottom of the last upon which the shoe is to be made, providing a cushion ply of a shape and size like that of the area defined by said index means, providing a cushion cover of soft flexible material of the size and shape of the cushion ply, and so assembling and bonding the cushion ply and cover with each other and with said sole-leather midsole member that their edges register with the boundary of the space defined by said index means thus leaving the margin of the upper surface of said lower member exposed, coating said exposed surface with adhesive, providing an upper, and turning the lower margin of the upper outwardly and adhesively bonding it to the exposed margin of said soleleather midsole member.

13. The method according to claim 12, further characterized in providing the upper, before its assembly with the midsole, with a quarter lining, said quarter lining comprising parts which extend transversely across the cover for the cushion ply of the midsole and which are so united as to connect the opposite sides of the shoe at its shank portion.

14. That method of making shoes: which comprises as steps: providing a midsole member, providing said member with index means defining the proper location, relatively to said member, of the edge of the bottom of the last upon which the shoe is to be made, providing an upper, turning the lower marginal portion of the upper outwardly and adhesively bonding it to the marginal portion of the upper surface of said midsole member to form an embryo shoe, using said index means as a guide in punching awl holes through said midsole member and through the marginal portion of the upper, and drawing thread through the awl holes in the formation of a handsewn-seam whereby the outturned marginal portion of the upper is permanently secured to the marginal portion of said midsole member.

15. The method according to claim 7, further characterized in providing an outer sole, removing the metallic fasteners from the midsole, adhesively bonding the upper surface of the outer sole to the undersurface of said midsole, and machine-sewing a second seam whose stitches pass through the outer sole, said midsole and the outturned margin of the upper, said seam being closely adjacent to the hand-sewn seam.

16. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that, before sewing the hand-sewn scam, the upper, with said midsole member united thereto by adhesive, is tempered and slip-lasted over the last upon which the shoe is to be made.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein, in assembling an outer sole with the embryo shoe, comprising the united upper and midsole, a shank stiffener is introduced between the outer sole and the lower member of the midsole.

18. A shoe resultant from the practice of the method of claim 17.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,105 6/1930 Jung.

1,944,560 1/ 1934 Kelly.

2,573,752 11/1951 Wolfskill et al.

2,357,915 9/ 1944 Stovall 12-123 2,386,397 10/ 1945 Holmgren 12-123 3,259,931 7/ 1966 Levenson.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. THAT METHOD OF MAKING SHOES WHICH COMPRISES AS STEPS: ASSEMBLING AND UNITING APPROPRIATE PARTS TO CONSTITUTE AN UPPER, PROVIDING A MIDSOLE, TURNING THE LOWER MARGIN OF THE UPPER OUTWARDLY AND CONTACTING IT WITH AND ADHESIVELY UNITING IT TO THE MARGINAL PORTION OF THE MIDSOLE, UNITING THE OUTTURNED MARGIN OF THE UPPER TO THE MIDSOLE BY A HAND-SEWN SEAM TO FORM AN EMBRYO SHOE, PROVIDING AN OUTER SOLE, SO ASSEMBLING SAID OUTER SOLE WITH THE UPPER AND MIDSOLE THAT THE FREE EDGES OF THE MARGINS OF THE UPPER, MIDSOLE AND OUTER SOLE ARE IN SUBSTANTIAL REGISTRY, AND UNITING THE OUTER SOLE TO THE MIDSOLE AND TO THE MARGIN OF THE UPPER BY A SEAM WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE HAND-SEWN SEAM. 